City of NO asks to vacate police reform order

NEW ORLEANS - The city of New Orleans has filed a voluminous court document seeking to vacate a consent decree designed to clean up problems within its police department.

The motion to vacate was filed in federal court Thursday.

The city contends it was forced to withdraw its consent to the decree signed with the U.S. Department of Justice "due to the tainted nature of the negotiations that led to its signing."

The city alleges misconduct by Justice, including failing to disclose costs to fix the Orleans Parish jail until after the decree was signed; Justice's insistence on including secondary employment provisions and its designation of former federal prosecutor Sal Perricone as the U.S. Attorney's point person during negotiations.

Perricone resigned after anonymously posting comments about open cases on The Times-Picayune's companion website.